Questions & Answers about Non aprire quella porta!
Why does this sentence use the infinitive aprire instead of a command form like apri?
If I wanted to tell a group of friends not to open the door, would I still use aprire?
No! The rule of using the infinitive for negative commands only applies to the singular tu. For a group (the voi form), you just put non in front of the normal conjugation: Non aprite quella porta!
Why is the word for "that" quella here instead of quel?
The word for "that" changes depending on the gender of the noun it describes. Because porta (door) is feminine singular, you use quella. If you were talking about a masculine object, like a book (libro), you would use quel.
Could I say questa porta instead? What is the difference?
Yes, but it changes the meaning. Questa porta means "this door" (close to the speaker), whereas quella porta means "that door" (further away).
Learn Non aprire quella porta and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free